Forest Hills community debates benefits of bike lanes

Residents in Forest Hills call Queens Boulevard the “Boulevard of Death:” over the years, multiple bicycle injuries and fatalities have occurred on this main thoroughfare. According to a 2017’s New York Times article, 186 people have been killed there since 1990.

In response to the bicycle safety concerns, more bike lanes are being implemented as part of the neighborhood’s transportation project in Forest Hills. While bicycle advocates unanimously agreed to have more bike lanes, local business owners said implementing bike lanes takes up parking spaces, which keeps their customers from coming to the stores.

Gary Taylor, the owner of Tropix Bar and Lounge in Rego Park, said he has suffered a loss in business as a result of the new bicycle lanes. He said that while he is not against bicyclists, he does not think they will be safer with the construction of more lanes.

“We really don’t see businesses getting destroyed,” said Peter Beadle, a member of Transportation Alternatives. “There’s actually a study that shows that, generally, people on bikes generate quite a bit of economic activity. When you’re on your bike, you literally smell the flowers in the flower shop, the bread in the bakery. You find stores that you never knew were there before and it’s really easy for you to stop.”

The Queens Boulevard project of 2018 involves a 7.5-mile road stretch from Yellowstone Boulevard to Union Turnpike. Community Board 6 voted against the fourth and final phase, which would install protected bike lanes and traffic calming measures, on June 13, 2019.

This July, Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled $58.4 million in funds and created the five-year Green Wave plan, which would add an additional 30 miles of protected bicycle lanes annually. A DOT spokesperson said in an email that they are moving forward with the redesign and working with the community, but have no updated timeline to share at this point.

Mr. Taylor of Tropix Bar and Lounge also said the lanes often go unused, and there are almost no cyclists in winter. He posted two pictures on his Facebook page that generated a high number of comments, in which there were no bikes on Queens Boulevard during the daytime.

Regarding this claim, Juan Restrepo, the Queens organizer of Transportation Alternatives, acknowledged that there were not many bikers on Queens Boulevard to begin with, but now the number of people is growing, and he sees a progression.

“I understand that some businesses may suffer from loss of parking next to their business, but they might find customers in other ways,” said Mr. Restrepo.

He said a lot of people feel scared to cross Queens Boulevard because it feels so dangerous, and building up this infrastructure can help encourage people to walk and possibly bring in commerce.

“It’s like not just shops — it goes [for] doctors, dentists,” Ms. Brown of Chamber of Commerce said. “One of the people was saying that they’re not going to take their kids to daycare on Queens Boulevard if they can’t park and bring their kid in.” There are various child care centers on the thoroughfare, such as Ivy Day School and All My Children DayCare & Nursery Schools.

Leslie Brown, the president of Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce, complained that the loss of parking spaces discourages loyal customers from coming back to stores again. A Kosher restaurant in Rego Park called Ben’s Best deli closed last year.

The former owner, Jay Parker, told Spectrum News NY1 that closing the restaurant was a tough decision, but bike lanes added in front had killed his business, which had been in the neighborhood for 73 years.

But his statement was contradicted by cycling advocates. Mr. Beadle of Transportation Alternatives said the loss of parking spaces had nothing to do with the closure, because there is a parking garage directly across the street that is always half empty.

Mr. Beadle said other reasons contributed to the shutdown. He said the restaurant could not sustain itself with high prices, and the business relied too heavily on an outdated demographic of customers.

Nevertheless, Barry Lewis from Kew Gardens said he’d rather have Ben’s than a bike lane.

The bike lane installment is now temporarily stalled at Phase 4, which would be installing protected bike lanes and traffic calming measures.